Dump-trailer power transmission



Feb. 24, 1925.

L. M. BROWN ET AL DUMP TRAILER POWER TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l p mm N W? W J Z 0 2 @4 Feb. 24. 1925.

L. M. BROWN ET AL DUMP TRAILER POWER TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 24, 1925. T V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUMP-TRAILER POWER TRANSMISSION.

Application filed February 25, 1924. Serial No. 694,952.

To all whom it may concern: conditions to whic Be it known that we, Lnwrs M. BROWN exposed. and GARNER L. Knox, citizens of the United We have successfully met the problem States, residing in the city of Los Angeles, by providing a generator on the truck and 5 county of Los Angeles, State of California, a motor on the trailer. The generator is have invented new and useful lmproveada ted to be intermittently connected to a ments in Dump-Trailer Power Transn1issha t deriving its power from the truck sion, of'which the following is a specificaengine, while the motor is operatively con ti 7 nected to the hoisting mechanism, whether 10 This invention relates to means for transthe latter be of the hydraulic or mechanical mitting power from an auto truck to the type. It is then only necessary to extend elevating mechanism of a dump body on a Wiring from generator to motor and protrailer towed by the truck. vlde means for controlling the operation For economic reasons, which need not of the generator. How this is done will 15 here be entered into in detail, it is becoming be fully explained in the following detailed the prevailing custom to utilize dump traildescription, reference being had to the acers rather than providing the trucks proper comp-anying drawings, in wh1ch with dump bodies. One advantage gained Figure 1 18 3. side elevation of a truck and by the trailer arrangement resides in the ra1ler, show 1ng our transmission used in fact that the load is distributed over six or C nn tion with a hydraulic hoist. eight wheels rather than only the four lg- 2 IS an enlarged vertical section wheels of the truck, thus rendering the load h o gh the hoist cylinder. much less destructive to roadways and pave- Fig. 3 is horizontal section through the t power take-ofi' on the truck, and is taken 25 However, certain conditions exist in con about on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

nection with the installation of dump bodies Fig. 4 is a vertical section about on the on trailers which make it diflicult. to secure line 414 of Fig. 3 cflicient operation. For instance, while the Fig. 5 shows our transmission applied body elevating mechanism is mounted on the to a body hoist of the drum and cable type. trailer, the actuating power must be de- In the drawings we have illustrated our veloped on the leading vehicle, and due to power transmission as applied to certain the existence of and provision for relative types of trucks and trailers which are movement between trucks and trailer, the coupled in a specific manner, and to certain transmission of power from truck .to dump types of hoisting apparatus, but it will be body elevating mechanism must be accomunderstood these drawings, and the followplished through some sort of flexible con ing description thereof, are to be considered nection at the point of coupling between merely as illustrative of and not restrictive truck and trailer. Dump body hoists are on the appended claims. It will be ap of two general types, viz, hydraulic and parent to those skilled in the art how the mechanical. As previously designed, 1n same principle may be applied to trucks and conjunction with a hydraulically operated trailers of other designs. It will also be hoist on a dump trailer, it was necessary apparent that certain changes in the design to install the pump mechanism on the truck and arrangement of our transmission may and connect it to the hoist cylinder on the be made without departing from the spirit trailer by flexible tubing, an unsatisfactory and scope of our invention. arrangement, partly due to the difliculty of In Figure l, the truck 10 and trailer 11 maintaining the tubing in fluid tight con are coupled at 12 so as to be capable of the h the mechanism was dition. In mechanically operated hoists, necessary relative movement. A power there was the necessity of a flexible shaft shaft 13, driven by the truck motor (not between the power shaft on the truck and shown) is connected to propeller shaft 14 the elevating mechanism on the trailer, a through clutch 15, intermediate shaft 16 and most undesirable feature due to the severe transmission 17, all of any usual and well known Construction. iBctween clutch 15 and transmission 17 is the power take-off 18. This also may be of any well known type. In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown, somewhat conventionally, such a take-ofl' in detail. A gear 1 9 is loose on shaft 16, while clutch disk 20 is keyed but slidable on this shaft. A countershaft 21 carries pinion 22 in mesh with gear 18, and extends through housing 23 to bearing 24 which is supported by truck frame 25, universal joints 26 allowing for relative movement between housing and frame. Shaft 21 is operatively connected to generator 27, on frame 25, by sprocket and chain drive 28.

A shifter fork 29 is mounted on rock shaft 30 which is journaled in housing 23 and terminates in crank 31 exterior of the housing. An operating lever 32, handy to the grasp of the truck operator from his position on seat 33, is connected to crank 31 by crank and link system 34, whereby proper manipulation of said lever 32 rocks shaft 30 to engage or disengage clutch disk 20 with respect to clutch elements 20 on gear 19.

When the take-off clutch is engaged, gear 19 drives shaft 21 and hence generator 27.

Since power take-off 18 is between clutch 15 and transmission 17, generator 27 may be driven when propeller shaft 14 and drive wheels \V,'are at rest, while the drive of the generator from shaft 16 may be controlled with respect to the constantly rotating power shaft 13, by actuation of the usual clutch 15. .Wires 35 lead from generator 27 through attachment plug 36 to motor 37 on trailer frame 38, and thus place the motor and generator in circuit, so, when the generator is driven through the mechanism just described, electricity is supplied to motor 37 which is thereupon driven to actuate the hoisting mechanism.

Dump body 39 is fulcrumed to frame 38 at 40 and its forward end is secured at'41 to piston rod 42 on piston 43, the latter being adapted to'b'e reciprocated within cylinder 44 which is swung from frame 38 at 45. J gear pump 46 is adapted to be driven by shaft 47 which is operatively connected to motor 37 through reduction gearing 48.

When motor 37 is driven by starting up generator 27, pump 46 draws oil through port 49 from above piston 43 and passes it through duct 50 back into cylinder 44 at a point beneath the piston, thus elevating body- 39 to dumping position, as shown in dotted lines. When at the upper limit of its stroke, piston 43 closes off port 49, thus automatically stopping the hoist, even though the motor continues in operation' We may also provide means for automatically opening the circuit to motor 37 or otherwise provide for the automatic cutting off of ower when the dump body reaches its position of full elevation. It is obvious that the elevating speed maybe varied by proper manipulation of lever 52 which is connected with valve plug 53 by crank and link system 54. The weight of body 39, acting through piston rod 42, forces the oil from beneath iston 43 whence it passes upwardly throng way 55 and open by-pass 51 I into the upper part of the cylinder.

In Fig. 5, parts which correspond to similar parts in Fig. 1 are designated by the same numerals with the exponent a. Motor 37 is connected by gearing 60 to drum 61 which is connected to body 39". by cable 62, the latter passing over sheave 63 at the top of mast 64 and being secured to body 39 at 65. It is apparent that by driving generator 27 from power take-off 18", current is supplied to motor 37 which thereupon acts to revolve drum 61, the latter taking up cable 62 and elevating body 39 to the position shown in dotted lines.

In certain instances, we may install a storage battery 66 on truck 10, the battery being in circuit with and charged by generator 27 during periods when the hoisting mechanism is not in use, switch 67 serving to open the motor circuit. Switch 67 may then be adjusted to selectively utilize the battery or the direct generator circuit for operating the motor.

Since flexible wires comprise the only connection between ower source and dump actuating mechanism on truck and trailer, it will be seen that we have provided a system which effectively meets the conditions peculiar to the situation, but we wish to repeat that certain variances in design, structure and arrangements over the showing in the drawings, maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. In combination with a towing vehicle and a trailer towed thereby, a dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping position, an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevating mechanism, a source of electricity on the towing vehicle, and means for putting said source and said motor in circuit whereby the motor is driven to actuate said elevating mechanism.

2. In combination with a towing vehicle and a trailer towed thereby, a dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating-said body to dumping position, an

towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, and means for driving the generator in a manner to pass electricity to and drive the motor, whereby the motor causes actuation of said elevating mechanism.

3. In combination with a towing vehicle and a trailer towed thereby, a dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping position,

an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevating mechanism, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor andmeans for intermittently driving the generator in a manner to pass electricity toand drive the motor, whereby the motor causes actuation of said elevating mechanism; and means for controlling the output of said generator.

4. In combination with a towing vehicle and a trailer towed thereby, a dump body on the trailer. mechanism on the trailer for elevating saidbody to dumping position, said mechanism including a piston o ratively connecting the dump body an the chassis 0fthe trailer, and a pump adapted to hydraulically operate the piston; an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to said pump, a source of electricity on the towing vehicle, and means for putting said source and said motor in circuit whereby the motor is driven to actuate said pump;

In combination with a towing vehicle and a trailer towed thereby, a dum body on the trailer, mechanism on the trader for elevating said body to dumping position, said-mechanism including a piston operatively connecting the dumpbody andthe chassis of the trailer, and a pump adapted to hydraulically operate the piston; an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to said'pump, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, and means .for intermittently drivin the generator in a manner to-pass electricity to and drive the motor intermittently, whereby the motor causes actuation of said elevating mechanism.

6. The combination with a towing vehicle which has a driven shaft, of a trailer adapted to be towed by said towing vehicle a dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping positlon, an electric motor on the trailer mud operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevatingmechanism, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, and means for intermittently connecting said driven shaft to the generator in a manner to drive the generator and thereby pass electricity to the motor for actuating said elevating mechanism.

7. The combination with a towing vehicle which has a driven shaft, of a trailer adapt- -.ed to be towed by said towing vehicle, a

dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping position, an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevating mechanism, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, and clutch means for intermittently connecting said driven shaft to the generator in a manner to drive the generator and thereby pass electricity to the motor for actuating said elevating mechanism.

8. The combination with a towing vehicle which has a driven shaft, of a trailer adapted to be towed by said towing vehicle, a dump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping position an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevating mechanism, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, a countershaft on the towing vehicle and operatively connected to the generator, and means for intermittently connecting said driven shaft to said countershaft in a manner to cause 0 eration of the generator and thereby pass e ectricity to the motor for actuating said elevating mechanism.

9. The combination with a towing vehicle which has a power shaft, a propeller shaft, and an intermediate shaft, the intermediate shaft being operatively connected to the propeller shaft, and clutch means for intermittently connecting the power and intermediate shafts; of a trailer adapted to be towed by said towing vehicle, adump body on the trailer, mechanism on the trailer for elevating said body to dumping position, an electric motor on the trailer and operatively connected to and adapted to actuate said elevating mechanism, a generator on the towing vehicle and in circuit with the motor, and means for intermittently connecting the generator and said intermediate shaft in a manner to drive the generator and thereby pass electricity to and drive the motor for actuating said elevating mechanism.

In witness that we claim the foregoing, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 28th day of January, 1924.

LEWIS M. BROWN. GARNER L. KNOX. 

